Many consumer products are displayed and sold in the conventional boxes or trays they are shipped in. Displaying and selling products in the boxes or trays they are shipped in are desirable because products do not have to be unpacked and individually placed on shelves prior to selling. Moreover, many club-stores do not bag products for consumers, and selling products in the boxes or trays they are shipped in makes handling of the products significantly easier for consumers.
While conventional boxes or trays have some desirable characteristics, they also have many drawbacks. For example, many conventional trays have front and side panels that are about 25% of the height of the products that are packed in them. While such conventional trays do allow for product visibility and paperboard conservation, they typically are incapable of supporting products in the upright position and do not offer any strength from a compression standpoint.
Conventional boxes, on the otherhand, have front and side panels that cover the products that are packed in them. These conventional boxes may support the compressive load imposed during shipping and warehousing; however, they utilize significant amounts of paperboard and make visibility of the products packed therein very difficult, especially from the front and sides.
It is of increasing interest to develop a product tray that can support products in an upright position, offer strength from a compression standpoint, and that allows for product visibility without using excessive amounts of material. This invention, therefore, is directed to a product tray having a back panel that is higher than the front and side panels. The product tray has excellent compressive strength when filled with product, notwithstanding the fact that it uses less material than conventional product boxes.
Additional Information
Efforts have been disclosed for making cartons. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,403, a display carton suitable for heavy consumer products is disclosed.
Other efforts have been disclosed for making cartons. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,801, a shipping case with advertising matter is described.
Still other efforts have been disclosed for making cartons. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,612, fabric softener sheet dispenser cartons are disclosed.
None of the additional information above describes a product tray that offers excellent compressive strength and product stability, while at the same time offering good product visibility from the front and sides.